I understand park hours are released 6 months in advance & dining reservations begin 180 prior. The park hour release does not allow me good planning time to coordinate dining. Am I missing something. Like to avoid EMH.”

Hi Dennis,

Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! Planning, planning, planning. I just love it!

When making dining reservations, I am always online in the wee hours of the morning on day 180 prior to our trip. By then, I typically have a good idea of the park hours for the week of our visit. I also check the park hours for the few weeks prior to our travel dates. Those hours give me a good idea of what the park hours might be during my visit. When doing a pre-park opening breakfast reservation, I also like to be sure that the park does not have early morning extra magic hours.

My family loves making pre-park opening breakfast reservations at Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. On our last visit, we did pre-park opening breakfast reservations at Be Our Guest, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and Hollywood & Vine. There is something truly magical about being in the park before the crowds arrive. We always stop to take photos on the way to the restaurant.

Dennis, I know this may not be the most exciting response, but just keep checking! I have always had enough information by the time we have to make our dining reservations. And, after I make the initial reservations, I go check the reservation system for a few days just to verify the park hours. If I need to modify a dining reservation, I do. I have even been able to modify reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table!

Meet the Panelist: Donyell, North Carolina

Hello from North Carolina! I am a mom of twin girls, wife, and university professor who has been inspired by the creativity of Disney for a lifetime. Since my first Disney visit when I was 12-years-old, I have been drawn to the adventures crafted by Disney Imagineers. Planning Disney vacations helps connect me to families who will find in Disney the kind of joy my family has experienced over the years. Allow me to help you map your own Disney journey so that you, too can create the memories of a lifetime!Learn More About Donyell

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